


A True Knight

by DarkPhoenixGoddess10



Series: Richard and Anne: One-shots [30]
Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-15 12:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4606425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkPhoenixGoddess10/pseuds/DarkPhoenixGoddess10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seeing his young son playing with one of his female wards, Richard Duke of Gloucester had a flashback, recalling an incident where he was tailgated by a little lady who wants play with him. It was not until he grew up and discovered his true love did he learn the true meaning of being a knight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A True Knight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [annetheseamaiden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annetheseamaiden/gifts).



"My lord, my lord!" A girl of seven was running after the six-year old Ned.

Ned ignored the girl altogether. He instead focused on just about anything else in the courtyard; horses, servants, and the geese.

"I'm your lady!" The girl said.

"No, you are not!" Ned said. "And I am not your knight!"

With that said, he ran away from her.

The girl looked like she was about to cry. Rubbing her eyes and holding her tears back, she stomped her foot and turned away.

From the Middleham Castle's tower, Richard saw it all.

The girl Joan was the daughter of Ned's wet nurse; Anne had been kind and allowed her to stay and groomed in the castle. She had been Ned's playmate from time to time, though Ned was rather annoyed with her. Seeing his small son running away from the girl and that girl stomping her foot, Richard recalled an incident in his childhood.

***

_Middleham Castle, 1462_

Holding a doll in her arms, eight-year old Lady Anne Neville knocked on the door of her chamber. She was looking for her sister Lady Isabel. Only her nanny opened the door, and told her, "Lady Isabel is ill, my lady. You must let her rest."

Anne looked at the nanny and then looked down at her doll.

"Give your sister some time," the nanny gave her a smile. "She will get well and you can play with her then."

Anne nodded and went away.

She wondered down the hall and spotted two boys, who were a few years older. One of them was taller with brown hair; and the other was shorter with dark hair. Anne recognized them as Francis Lovell and Richard, the Duke of Gloucester; they had joined their household about a year ago to be trained under her father's tutelage.

"Can you play with me?" She asked them, eyes wide open.

Francis looked at her and then at Richard.

Richard only glanced at her and replied, "No."

"Why no?"

"Because we are boys and to be knights," Richard said. "Girls are not one of us."

"I can be," Anne said, holding onto her doll.

"No you can't."

"Please!"

In her fine little gown and holding that doll, Anne certainly did not look like a child going for adventures.

"Richard, have a heart," Francis said. "After all, she's your betrothed."

"Be quiet!"

"What's betrothed?" Anne asked, blinking her eyes.

"You and Richard are to be married after you grow up," Francis told her, lowered his voice.

Anne studied Francis' face and height; then she asked, "Can you be my betrothed?"

Francis nearly burst out laughing.

"You will make a finer husband," Anne said. "You are taller, and you will look very handsome on a horse."

"Let's go play chess," Richard said and began to walk away.

Francis went with him with Anne tailgated behind.

***

"Do you see where the chess board is?" Richard looked around.

Anne saw the chessboard in a corner. Quietly, she hid it behind a box.

"I can't find it," Francis said.

"Why don't you play with me?" Anne asked. "We can play a game, with our imaginations."

"Okay," Francis shrugged; but Richard was not as interested.

Anne sat down with her doll on her laps. Francis sat too while Richard stood.

"My sister and nanny had told me the tale of knight and his lady," Anne began. "The knight falls in love with the lady who was locked in a tower by her evil godmother. Each day, he comes to visit the lady by climbing up the tower by her long, long hair. He brings her freshest fruits and fun games to play. The lady stands by the window every day waiting for him."

She told the tale as she wrapped her braids around her wrist.

"This is not true at all!" Richard complained. "Knights don't run after the ladies. The knights fight in wars! They ride horses and slain their enemies!" Looking up and raising one arm as if he was holding up a sword, "My brother the King is the best knight in the world. In a glorious white horse, he swept the Lancastrian forces and claimed the crown that is rightfully his. He avenged my lord father and my brother Edmund. One day, I will be a fine knight to make him proud!"

"And I will be a knight too, Dickon!" Francis stood. "I will fight by your side!"

With that said, the two boys began to pretend to engage in a sword fight. Francis was more lighthearted while Richard was more serious. Anne watched by the side; she was ignored.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Anne yelled. "I want to play too!"

She stood and stomped her foot.

"Francis you ugly oaf! Richard you smelly duke!"

They still ignored her.

The two boys continued to pretend they are in a swordfight while Anne yelled and stomped her foot, until Anne's nanny came to find her.

"My Lady Anne!"

The young girl ran to her in tears.

"They are mean boys! They ignored me! All they want is fighting!" Anne wept.

"Come my lady," the nanny comforted her. "Lady Isabel has recovered, and she's asking for her sister."

The nanny walked Anne away.

***

Before she could go to bed, her father Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick called to see her. Anne went to his study with her nanny.

"Come, Anne," Warwick gestured.

The nanny bowed and retreated from the study as Anne sitting on his lap.

"Tell me, are you fond of Dickon?"

"Not at all!" Anne shook her head. "Can I marry Francis instead?"

Warwick laughed out loud.

"Anne, Richard is a royal duke. He has wealth, title, and power."

"But he ignores me," Anne whined. "Francis is nicer."

"Anne, one day you will realize your value, and how much you meant to Richard," Warwick told her. "I will see you in a beautiful gown as you walk down the aisle to marry Richard. He may ignore you now, but soon, he will value you like no other."

"If I were locked in a tower, will he come for me?"

"He will."

"If there are bad men surrounded me to hurt me, will he kill them?"

"He will."

After a moment, her lips curved into a smile. "I will marry Dickon then Papa. He will be my knight and protect me."

***

_Middleham Castle, 1476_

Shaking his head and laughing gently.

He didn't know how much Anne meant to him until the moment he learned that she is to marry Lancaster.

And he had been her knight - saving her from Lancastrian forces and rescuing her from George.

One day, his son Ned will grow up and learn the meaning of being a true knight - a man who finds his heart to love a woman.


End file.
